Come Spinning at Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts (Canadian Feature)

Journeys of The Zoo’s I Am Canadian Feature for March is Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts.

What a pleasure to find such unique and renewable products available locally.

Please take a moment to read about Heather’s original company and inspiring initiatives and show her your support by leaving a comment and stopping by her blog all about…

Spinning. As in Wool (not Bikes).

If someone says their hobby is spinning, most people think they are talking about training on bikes in a gym. But Heather of Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts doesn’t spin on bikes, she spins wool into yarn on a spinning wheel. Her kids thinks she’s a little too crazy about sheep, but she enjoys playing with wool so much that she started a company!

Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts (OVFA) is located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Created in 2010 during a particularly difficult time in her day job, Heather found that building her passion in her spare time gave her more energy for everything else in her life. She started the Canadian Fiber Box project, which brings together different fiber producers and artists four times a year to subscribers across Canada. Canada has many fiber producers – from sheep to llamas and alpacas to bison and muskox. We also have many talented fiber artists who prepare and dye fiber for spinning. The Canadian Fiber Box lets folks “get to know Canadian fiber.”

This year, OVFA is working to start up a new product line called Envirobatts. Envirobatts are spinning fiber that are handcrafted from perfectly good textile waste that would otherwise be thrown out. Right now Heather is running an Indiegogo campaign to raise the funds to purchase a large, motorised drum carder, and to date, over 35 people have contributed to funding the project. If you want to support the Envirobatts campaign, you can choose from a variety of perks including your own Envirobatts or handspun yarn! The campaign runs until March 11. You can read more here at the Indiegogo site: http://www.indiegogo.com/envirobatts/x/2092476

Heather is a mother of three, loves statistics and lives in a log house. She is crazy about sheep, her two cats and, of course, her husband. Owner of Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts and creator of Envirobatts, fibers arts are her passion. When she’s not playing with fiber, she’s baking bread, cookies, and making her own yogurt and sauerkraut.

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at spinning! Actually, awhile back my dad and I went to somewhat of an open house at a local alpaca farm and I ended up getting myself a drop spindle; don’t ask where it is because I have no clue, but I still am interested in trying it ^.^

Thank you, Heather, for this guest blog. I think your company is amazing. i love to knit and I admire those who are able to spin yarn. I also read on your blog about helping women in poorer countries. Kudos for you. Hugs.